If you’ve been thinking about picking up meditation, then this article is for you.

I have meditated a lot, but like you, I started out as an absolute beginner. I dove right into the deep end with a Vipassana course, but there are other ways to get started. About two years ago, my meditation practice had really declined, and I needed to find ways to get back into the swing of things.

I want to share with you 3 things that really helped me along that journey.

Set a time and timer

Any habit is best formed if you’re really clear about when and how long you’re going to do it. 

Set aside a clear time for yourself and book it into your calendar. Don’t let anything else creep into that time. I really like meditating right after waking up or before I go to sleep. I always set myself a timer so that I’m really clear about how much time I’m going to meditate.

Start small

When setting your timer, please don’t think you have to meditate for an hour each day. 

Start small. Set your timer for 5 minutes the first time. This may not seem like a lot, but remember, yesterday, you did zero minutes. Every minute counts, and each little step counts towards your goal. Especially after having had a long time without meditation, these short moments of mindfulness really helped me get back into it. You can build it up each day with a minute or go in increments of 5 every couple of days.

Before you know it, you’ll be meditating for half an hour!

Choose a dedicated place

I really like the idea of having a dedicated space for your meditation practice.

Always going to the same place means you start linking your new habit to the location as well. Maybe you’re lucky, and you can have a dedicated ‘wellness room’, or it could just be your bedroom or a comfy couch. It doesn’t matter, but I do believe it helps if it’s always the same space. The intentions we set during the meditation practice also prime the space and give it a good atmosphere for future meditations. 

Having a dedicated space also sends a message to other people in the household that you’re focusing on serious meditation business when you’re in that specific space.